Month: June 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon is just days away from legalizing recreational marijuana, and the Portland Police Bureau is explaining just how much weed you can carry in the most Portland way possible — by comparing it to a Voodoo doughnut, reports KATU.com.

Below is the police bureau press release:

Beginning July 1, 2015, the possession and use of recreational marijuana will be legal in the State of Oregon.

The Portland Police Bureau would like to make residents aware of the new law and some considerations moving forward:

* Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII) is a crime and can have deadly consequences. For public safety reasons, preventing DUII driving is a top law enforcement priority. Driving after consuming alcohol, marijuana and/or other intoxicants can impair your ability to operate a motor vehicle safely. If you consume an intoxicant, please don’t drive.

* Using marijuana in a public place remains illegal and can result in a citation being issued by law enforcement.

* Possession of more than one ounce on your person (in public), or more than eight ounces in your household remain crimes and can result in your arrest.

* Oregonians bringing marijuana products into the state from Washington (or transporting out of state to anywhere) are violating Federal drug laws. Oregon marijuana users should research and be aware of Federal laws regarding marijuana use and/or drug possession.

Community members observing public consumption of marijuana should NOT call 9-1-1, unless there is an immediate public safety risk. Instead, community members observing and concerned about public consumption of marijuana may call the Police Non-Emergency Line at 503-823-3333. Callers should be aware that these calls will be prioritized according to established dispatch protocols which place emergency and serious criminal activity ahead of nuisance calls.

Officers have discretion when it comes to issuing citations but anyone consuming marijuana in public may be contacted by police and issued a citation.

Community members smelling marijuana smoke from a neighbor’s home or yard are encouraged to discuss it with the neighbors or property owners as this is not a law enforcement issue.

The Portland Police Bureau is encouraging community members to be considerate of each other as this new law goes into effect.

The Drugs and Vice Division will continue to focus its efforts on large-scale drug trafficking organizations involved in the distribution of controlled substances such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana.

Two of Canada’s largest medical marijuana firms are combining in a deal that will create a dominant domestic producer and reshape the fledgling industry, reports the Toronto-based National Post.

Tweed Marijuana Inc. and Bedrocan Cannabis Corp. have agreed to merge, the companies said. It is an all-stock acquisition by Tweed that values Bedrocan at about $58 million, or 84 cents a share, compared to its closing price of 66 cents on Tuesday.

It is the first merger to occur in Canada’s medical marijuana space since the sector got off the ground last year, and it is a game-changer. The combined company will be the industry’s undisputed leader, with more than 25 per cent of all the registered patients and production capacity across the country. It will have three production facilities in Ontario, and a total licensed sales capacity roughly 6,000 kilograms of medical pot per year. The combined market cap of the two firms is triple the size of its closest rivals.

SALEM — While it becomes legal for adults in general to possess personal supplies of marijuana starting July 1, the big question has been when would adult-use sales get into gear at retail outlets in the state.

A key legislative committee on Thursday approved a bill that would create a program that allows for some sales starting Oct. 1, reports the Oregonian and others.

The committee amended a pending bill to allow the state’s existing medical marijuana outlets to begin selling a quarter of an ounce per day to any adult.

That amended legislation now heads to votes in the full Senate and House.

The amendment is a swerve away from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s plan to license recreational pot stores to open in the fall of 2016. But it’s also a compromise that falls short of a proposal by Sen. Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day), who wanted medical weed dispensaries to sell buds to anyone over 21 starting July 1.

Supporters of a temporary sales program at dispensaries said this is a way to avoid a new surge of demand for pot on the black market. The legislation, Senate Bill 460, includes a number of restrictions limiting the extent of sales.

Recreational buyers would be limited to buying one-quarter ounce of dried marijuana buds and leaves per day. They could also buy seeds and immature plant starts, which they could use to grow their own at home. Consumers would not be allowed to buy a range of other marijuana-laced products available to medical marijuana users, such as foodstuffs and concentrated forms of the drug.

The Oregon Health Authority has issued about 310 dispensary licenses and more than 90 other applications are pending On its website, the authority lists 222 dispensaries that are open and agree to be publicly identified. Ninety-one of them are in the city of Portland.

Many dispensary owners have pleaded for the temporary sales program, saying it will help them survive in an over-saturated market. Sam Chapman, a industry consultant who works with a seed genetics group, said he did a business survey of dispensaries in Portland and only about a quarter were even breaking even now.

However, the legislation would allow city and county governments to bar the temporary sales program — so it might not take place in many communities where local officials say they don’t want marijuana retailers and have already taken steps aimed at halting dispensaries. Under the bill, counties could decide to prohibit early sales in unincorporated areas while city councils would have sway over areas within their boundaries.

The amendment is tacked onto a bill lpassed by Oregon House legislators on Wednesday that seeks to set up the state’s legal marijuana market, reports the Associated Press.

The measure creates regulations for medical and recreational marijuana, and includes a compromise allowing local jurisdictions to opt out of legalization. Members of a joint committee tasked with implementing Measure 91 had previously deadlocked on the issue of local control, and the measure stalled for weeks while lawmakers worked out an agreement.

Counties or cities that voted against Measure 91 can choose to bar sales of marijuana if at least 55 percent of their residents opposed the ballot measure in last year’s election. Other counties would have to put the issue of banning pot sales to a vote.

“I did not support Measure 91. I am voting for this bill because it allows local jurisdictions to prohibit the sale of this drug,” Rep. Bill Post, R-Keizer, said in a statement.

The bill also creates a tracking system for marijuana so officials can trace pot from seedling to retail sale in order to keep it out of the black market. The Oregon Health Authority would be in charge of creating and maintaining a database tracking pot’s path to market, and the bill requires grow sites to register and submit information on the amount of marijuana processed and transferred every month.

“We want to help local businesses be successful in this legal market. We want to reduce illegal activity and transactions that are not in accordance with these laws. We want to keep kids and communities safe,” said Rep. Ann Lininger, a Democrat from Lake Oswego who carried the bill.

Additionally, the measure reduces penalties for some drug-related offenses. Geoff Sugerman, a lobbyist for Oregon Cannabis PAC, said it will bring the criminal statutes in line with the fact that marijuana is now legal. The measure, HB 3400, also will expunge many marijuana-related convictions, which will benefit tens of thousands of Oregonians, he said.

“The so-called war on drugs has devastated communities across this country. With the experience of Prohibition behind us, we should know better, but instead we fill prisons and break up families over this drug,” said Rep. Lew Frederick, a Portland Democrat.

If the bill becomes law, marijuana sales won’t be taxed until Jan. 4. At that point, another measure, House Bill 2041, calls for a 25 percent tax on pot sales to recreational users.

The temporary sales program is scheduled to end no later than Dec. 31, 2016, at which time OLCC-licensed stores are expected to open (and many dispensaries are expected to convert to recreational sales). Under HB 2041, recreational users in those OLCC-licensed stores would pay a 17 percent sales tax on marijuana. Local governments could also add another 3 percent tax with the approval of their voters.

CHICAGO — Medical marijuana has not been proven to work for many illnesses that state laws have approved it for, according to the first comprehensive analysis of research on its potential benefits.

The strongest evidence is for chronic pain and for muscle stiffness in multiple sclerosis, according to the review, which evaluated 79 studies involving more than 6,000 patients. Evidence was weak for many other conditions, including anxiety, sleep disorders, and Tourette’s syndrome and the authors recommend more research.

Medical marijuana has not been proven to work for many of the illnesses state laws have approved it for, according to the first comprehensive analysis of research on its purported benefits published Tuesday. The Associated Press.

The analysis is among several medical marijuana articles published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. They include a small study suggesting that many brand labels for edible marijuana products list inaccurate amounts of active ingredients. More than half of brands tested had much lower amounts than labeled, meaning users might get no effect.

Highlights from the journal:

THE ANALYSIS

The researchers pooled results from studies that tested marijuana against placebos, usual care or no treatment. That’s the most rigorous kind of research but many studies found no conclusive evidence of any benefit. Side effects were common and included dizziness, dry mouth and sleepiness. A less extensive research review in the journal found similar results.

It’s possible medical marijuana could have widespread benefits, but strong evidence from high-quality studies is lacking, authors of both articles say.

“It’s not a wonder drug but it certainly has some potential,” said Dr. Robert Wolff, a co-author and researcher with Kleijnen Systematic Reviews Ltd., a research company in York, England.

Independent laboratory testing for THC, marijuana’s leading active ingredient, found accurate amounts listed on labels for just 13 of 75 products. Almost 1 in 4 had higher amounts than labeled, which could cause ill effects. Most had lower-than-listed amounts. There were similar findings for another active ingredient. Products were not identified by name.

Johns Hopkins University researcher Ryan Vandrey, the lead author, said he was surprised so many labels were inaccurate. The researchers note, however, that the results may not be the same in other locations. READ MORE »

An analysis of 75 edible marijuana products sold to patients in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles found that labels on just 17 percent accurately described their levels of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient, researchers reported Tuesday.

Sixty percent of the products had less THC than their packages advertised, and 23 percent of them had more THC than claimed.

“We need a more accurate picture of what’s being offered to patients,” said Dr. Donald Abrams, the chief of hematology and oncology at San Francisco General Hospital. He was not involved in the new study, which was published in JAMA.

“What we have now in this country is an unregulated medical marijuanaindustry, due to conflicts between state and federal laws,” Dr. Abrams said.

After ingesting marijuana, patients experience the maximal high one to three hours later. (It is felt within minutes after smoking.) Inaccurate labels complicate the consumption of marijuana for medical purposes.

Products with too little THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, may fail to deliver symptom relief to those with debilitating conditions like chronic pain, and those with too much may overwhelm users.

Some of Dr. Abrams’s older cancer patients have tried edibles, he said, because they do not want to smoke marijuana. But some have eaten too much THC, with unpleasant results such as severe anxiety.

In the new study, cannabis candy, drinks and baked goods from 47 brands were tested by the Werc Shop, a laboratory with outposts in California and Washington State.

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine paid for the study except for the cost of the testing, which was covered by the Werc Shop. The company’s chief executive, Jeffrey Raber, is a study author.

Some discrepancies were notably large: In one case, a product had just three milligrams of THC even though its label claimed 108, said Ryan Vandrey, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The researchers declined to name specific manufacturers or products. “I didn’t want to get sued,” Dr. Vandrey said.

“The point is not to say, ‘Hey, X medical marijuana company, you’re bad,’ ” he added. The more serious issue is that “we don’t have the kind of quality assurance for edibles that we have for any other medicine.”

The analysis found some geographical differences: The likelihood of having edible medical marijuana with more THC than advertised was higher in Los Angeles, while the likelihood of having it with less THC than labeled was greater in Seattle.

The researchers also tested each product for cannabidiol, or CBD, a nonpsychoactive ingredient of marijuana that is being studied in purified form as a possible aid to children with intractable epilepsy.

Forty-four products had detectable levels of CBD, though only 13 disclosed CBD. Nine had less CBD than labeled; four had more.

One limitation was that just one laboratory performed the analysis, medical and lab experts cautioned. Methodologies and results vary from lab to lab.

Some variability in test results is routine in this sort of analysis, so the researchers classified labels as accurate if the THC content was within 10 percent of the claimed levels.

A rigorous federal research study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse offers new data on the effects of marijuana on driving performance, reports Time magazine.

The exact impact of marijuana on driving ability is a controversial subject—and it’s become more important states continue to loosen their drug laws. And, while drunk driving is on the decline in the U.S., driving after having smoked or otherwise consumer marijuana has become more common. According to the most recent national roadside survey from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of weekend nighttime drivers, 8.3 percent had some alcohol in their system and 12.6 percent tested positive for THC—up from 8.6 percent in 2007.

It is illegal in all states to drive under the influence of anything, but years of work went in to establishing the . 08 breathe alcohol limit that exists in most states. The question is whether we can establish a similar threshold for pot.

To find out, the study recruited 18 occasional cannabis smokers, 13 of them men, between the ages 21 and 37. The participants took six 45-minute drives in a driving simulator—a 1996 Malibu sedan mounted in a dome at the University of Iowa. Each drive tested a different combination of high or low concentration THC, alcohol, and placebos (to create a placebo, participants were given fruit juice with alcohol swabbed in the rim, topped of with 1ml alcohol, to mimic alcohol’s smell and taste).

The researchers looked at 250 parameters of driving ability, but this paper focused on three in particular: weaving within the lane, the number of times the car left the lane, and the speed of the weaving.

While alcohol had an effect on the number of times the car left the lane and the speed of the weaving, marijuana did not. Marijuana did show an increase in weaving.

“I think this has added really good knowledge from a well-designed study to add to the current debate,” on marijuana’s effects on road safety, says Dr. Marilyn Huestis, the principal investigator in the study, which was conducted by researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Marijuana at a grow house for the Karing Kind marijuana dispensary in Boulder, Colo., (Benjamin Rasmussen/The New York Times)

It’s been a little over a year since Colorado began allowing stores to sell marijuana for recreational use and the market continues to grow rapidly. But there are clouds on the horizon.

Nicholas Colas and his team at Convergex, a global brokerage company based in New York, surveyed a number of marijuana stores in Colorado last week to get a better picture of the state of the nascent market.

What they found was that prices are declining faster than some had expected, while the number of people visiting the stores has increased.

“Since last June, the average price of an 1/8th ounce of recreational cannabis has dropped from $50-$70 to $30-$45 currently; an ounce now sells for between $250 and $300 on average compared to $300-$400 last year. More competition and expansion of grow facilities contributed to this price decline, but it is also a natural result for any maturing industry as dispensaries try to find the market’s equilibrium price.”

Even with the declining prices, sales are still exceeding those of last year for recreational marijuana.

According to the note, sales increased by 98 percent year-over-year in April. Taking that into account, Colas expects stores to gross up to $480 million this year, which would be a 50 percent increase over 2014.

One thing his team will be keeping an eye on is the average size of each transaction, as it appears to be decreasing — perhaps as the novelty value of legally purchasing pot wears off — as well as a key upcoming date:

“Our contacts still report between 100 to 300 customers entering their stores each day, but they only spend about $50 per visit compared to $100 last June. About half of these customers are tourists in most stores we interviewed.”

“The 10% sales tax on recreational cannabis will be repealed only on that day (September 16) due to a provision included in a bill Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed into law earlier this month.

“The bill also permanently cuts the 10% sales tax on recreational marijuana to 8% in 2017 in an effort to squeeze out the black market.”

TALLAHASSEE — Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan has written a $150,000 check to jump-start an effort to get a medical-marijuana initiative back on the ballot in 2016.

United for Care — the political group behind the proposal — started hiring petition-gatherers to ensure the group does not get caught playing catch-up again.

Garnering more than 58 percent of the vote last November, a medical-marijuana initiative fell just short of the 60 percent approval required for constitutional changes. Morgan, who spent at least $5 million on the effort last year, says he is determined to give voters another stab at a revised version. Supporters hope heavier voter turnout for the presidential election will push the pot initiative above the 60 percent threshold.

United for Care campaign manager Ben Pollara said he thinks the group will need about $3 million to cover the costs of professional petition-gatherers and legal fees to get the initiative on the ballot. Pollara said he plans to have the paid workers fanned out statewide by July 1.

Pollara needs to turn in 683,149 valid petition signatures to the Department of State by Feb. 1 to get on the ballot. First, the group has to submit 10 percent of those petitions to the Florida Supreme Court to trigger a review of the revamped initiative, now entitled “Use of Medical Marijuana for Debilitating Conditions.”

Tyler Markwart, production manager of the Northwest Patient Resource Center, at one of his marijuana dispensaries in Seattle, April 17, 2015. (Ian C. Bates/The New York Times)

A long-standing bureaucratic obstacle to privately-funded medical marijuana research has just been removed, effective immediately by eliminating a redundant approval step.

Until today if you wanted to conduct marijuana research, you’d need to do the following:

Submit your study proposal to the Food and Drug Administration for a thorough review of its “scientific validity and ethical soundness.”

Submit your proposal to a separate Public Health Service (PHS) board, which performs pretty much the exact same review as the FDA.

Get a marijuana permit from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Finally, obtain a quantity of medical marijuana via the Drug Supply Program run by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which maintains a monopoly on medical marijuana grown for research in the U.S.

As you might imagine, this can be a complicated, time-consuming process. Step 2, the PHS review, has been a subject of particular consternation among researchers and advocates. That step is not required for research into any other drug, including cocaine and heroin. The PHS review is nearly identical to the one performed by the FDA. Sometimes, it can take months to complete.

This week, the Department of Health and Human Services agreed, determining that the PHS review process is redundant with the FDA review, and that it is “no longer necessary to support the conduct of scientifically-sound studies into the potential therapeutic uses of marijuana.”

“The president has often said that drug policy should be dictated by unimpeded science instead of ideology, and it’s great to see the Obama administration finally starting to take some real action to back that up,” said Tom Angell of the Marijuana Majority, a pro-legalization group.